Separable fastener



Dec. 23, 1930. R, c, LEG" 1,785,740

SEPARABLE FASTBNER Filed July 23, 1929 120a? die a7, @y w Patented Dec. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE ROBERT C. LEG-AT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T G. E. PRENTICE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT SEPARABLE FASTENER Application filed July 23,

This invention pertains to separable fasteners of that general type of which the patent to Judson No. 504,038, dated August 29, 1893,

may be cited as an early example. and relates more particularly to end stops for such fasteners. An endstop is used at one end of each series of fastener elements to prevent the actuating slidefi-from traveling beyond the end of the seriesjl,jand these stops have usually been of one of'two types. One type of stop is thicker (in a front to rear direction) than the channel in the slider and thus engages the advancing end of the slider to limit its movement. Since the advancing end of the slider is usually spaced some distance, at least, from the interior guide which separates the channels in the slider, the slider is necessarily stopped before the gap in the series is fully closed. To avoid this difficulty the second type of stop was devised, said latter type of stop being made thinner from front to rear than the thickness of the channel in the slider, so that it may enter the channel, but unlike the fastener elements of the two series,

these stops are disposed directly opposite to each other so that as the fastener is closed,

the stops abut each other, or the separator guide, so as to prevent further movement of the slide. However, this latter type of stop as usually constructed is also objectionable in that it has a tendency, when the slider is forcibly actuated, either to jam, or to pass below and be caught by the separator guide, so that it is subsequently diflicult to move the slider in the opposite direction.

- In accordance with the present invention, I

provide a stop-which enters the slider channel far enough to permit substantial closure of the gap, but which is so constructed that it can not jam or. catch. This stop is of extremely simple construction, easy to make and apply, and performs its intended function i in the most effective and desirable way.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one desirable embodiment of the invention by way ofexample: Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation, to large scale, showing a fastener of the general type above referred to, provided with a stop constructed in accordance with the present 1929. Serial No. 380,337.

invention, the opposed series of fastener ele-, ments being partly separated;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing the series of fastener elements completely engaged with the slider at the limit of its movement;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in vertical section, showing the engagement of the stop members with the slider;

Fig. 4 is a composite View illustrating a suitable blank and a mode of bending it to produce my improved stop; and

Fig. 5 is a section, to larger scale, substan tially on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the usual fabric stringers, commonly consisting of pieces of woven tape, each having a beaded or thickened margin defining one edge of the gap to be closed. Series of fastener elements 3 and 4 are attached to the beaded edges of the respective stringers. As here shown the fastener elements are of the general type disclosed in the patent to Prentice et al.,N0. 1,658,392, dated February 7 1928. A clip 5 holds the fastener elements of the opposed series in permanently interengaged relation at one end of the gap. A slider 6 is employed for moving 4 the opposed series of fastener elements into operative relationship. As here shown, this slider is of the general type disclosed in my Patent No. 1,679,866, dated August 7 1928, comprising front and rear wings united by a neck G (Fig. 3) which forms the interior ide for separating the opposed series of astener elements. As disclosed in my aforesubstantially straight from their upper ends to the lower ends of the individual channels.

As illllstrated, each series of fastener elements is providedwith a fixed stop member 9 of my improved construction, although a stop at the end of one series only would ordinarily be suficient. Each stop memberhas the upper edge 12 (Figl 3) and the lower edge 13, here shown as substantially parallel,an inner edge lkwhich is substantially parallel with the edge of the corresponding stringer, and the outer edge 15 which is in-" clined to the edge of the stringer.

- Conveniently this stop member, may be made from an elongate trapezoidal piece of sheet material (Fig. .4), usually metal, and this piece of material is bent along amine sub: stantially midway between its ends and per, pendicular to its parallel edges so as to forma U-shaped clip comprising the front and rear wings W and W This clip, thus formed, is

hadapted to embrace the beaded edge of the stringer and by pressure is caused to assume.

the shape shown in Fig. 5, so that it is firmly anchored in position, and compressed from front to rear'to a thickness less thanthat of theslider channel withthe closed end of the clip close to the edge 'of the stringer and v ith theedges 15. further from the edge of the stringer. I

' vReferring to Fig. 3, it .may be seen that the narrower end 13 of the stop is less in width laterally thanthe distance between the outer surface of the member 7 and the corresponding flange 11, and .thus the smaller end of the stop is enabled to enter the slider channel. However, the upper end 12 of the stop is of somewhat greater lateral width than the width of the channel between the members 7 and 11 upwardly. -VYhen the stop has almost completely entered thechannel, its wider upper'end engages the opposed parts 7 and 11 and thus prevents further movement of the slider relative to the stop. However, the edge 15 makes a substantially larger angle with the edge of the stringer than does the flange 11 so that thestop can not jam within the channel, andthus the slider may readily v be moved in the'opposite direction. With this construction using a slider of ordinary type there is no danger that the 'slider will pass beneath the separator guide G. since it can not enter completely into the'channel, although it enters sufiiciently far to permit substantial closure of the gap, while at the "same time it has suflicient length from top to bottom, that is between the edges 12 and '13, to; obtain a firm grip upon the material ofthe stringer so-thatit cannot be dislodged by repeated-engagements by the slider. While the gradual ta ering' form of stop here shown is-desirable, y reason of its simplicity and ease of manufacture and,appli cation, I contemplate that stopsvarying in a series of fastener elements carried by each depth but having a lateral width which pre-- vents the stop from completely entering the channel of the slider although permittmg-asuflicient entry to effect a substantial closure of the gap. I

2. An end stop for use in separable fastener devices of the kind having opposed series of fastener elementsand flexible stringers carrying the respective series and an actuating slider provided with guide channels for the respective series, said stop 'taperin from one end tothe other and being compose of a trapezoidal piece of sheet material dou bled uponitself along a-lineperpendicular r toits parallel edges and embracing the edge of the stringer, the taper of the stop being such as topermit substantially all of the stop except its larger end to enter the channel in the slider, thusefl'ecting a substantial closure of thegap without 'amming.

- Signed by me at Ber in, Connecticut, this 17th day of July,

. ROBERT C. LEGAT.

Y width in other ways mi ht well be employed with similar results an that such stops are within the scope of my invention.

I claim: a 1.,In combination with a separable fas tening device of the kind having flexible stringers defining the opposite edges of a gap, A

iso 

